Little Match Girl Passion – Denmark

Overview

This re-telling of The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen sets the traditional story in the format of Bach’s Saint Matthew Passion. American composer David Lang intersperses Anderson’s narrative with his own versions of crowd and character responses from the Passion, unlocking secrets from the story by unfolding it and it giving the narrative a powerful inevitability.

Anastazia Louise portrayed The Little Match Girl character with the intention of capturing its dichotomy of horror and beauty, a naive equilibrium between suffering and hope. This special engagement took place in honor of Hans Christian Andersen’s life and work, in his country of origin.